Ear-shield



W. J. KENT.

EAR SHIELD.

APPLICATION FILED IuLv I6. |918.

1,367,746. Patented Feb.8,1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. KENT, QF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE MECHANICAL RUBBER COMPANY, A CORPORATION lOF NEW JERSEY.` i

EAR-SHIELD.

Application, med July 16,

To all whom #may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. KENT, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, city of New York, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ear-Shields, of which the following. is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a device adapted to support a telephone receiver in operative position with relation to the ear and to prevent extraneous sounds from interfering with the proper operation of the instrument' and the hearing of the user. The device is particularly adapted for use b aviators, who

eretofore have experience considerable difficulty in hearing the messages transmitted by telephone, due to the nolses of the engine, the explosions of shells, and other sounds which act to interrupt the operation of the receiver and confuse the hearing.

An object of the resent invention is to provide a light, flexible ear shield adapted to support a telephone receiver `in o erative position with relationto the ear an to pro-v tect the ear and the receiver from the action of undesirable sounds, thus enabling the user to hear messages distinctly.

Referring tothe drawings herein one of the various embodiments of t e invention is illustrated:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view `of the shield;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the shield taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 isa view 4showing the shield in position upon the head of a wearer.

The ear shield illustrated in the drawings comprises a vsubstantially disk-shaped in-v tegral construction formed of fabric and rubber or other suitable yielding material adapted to conform'to the configuration of the side of the head .of the user. p

` The outer face 10 `of the shield is made substantially dome-'shape for the purpose of avoiding resistance' 'to the passage of the shield through the air when 1n use.

The inner facellof the shield is formed with a centrally disposed circular cavity 12 shaped to hold a telephone receiver 13, embodying a cylindrical 'casing 14 having a flat back WallI 15. The bottom 16 of the cavity is concave in shape and is formed of elastic material, so that when the flat back wall'of the receiver is pressed against it, in fitting Specification o f Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921. 191s. serial No. 245,225.

the receiver in place, it will tend to flatten causing a portion of the air vbetween it and the back .of the receiver to be expelled. When the. pressure upon the receiver is released,- the bottom of the cavity will spring away from the back of the receiver creating a partial vacuum between the parts, thus eveloping a suction that operates to hold the receiver in position. The partial vacuum also serves to prevent the transmission of undesirable sound waves to the receiver, insuring the proper operation of the instrument.

Arranged on the inner face of theshieId and spaced from the receiver cavity is an elliptical rib 17 of elastic material, that forms the side walls of a cavity of sufiicient size to contain the ear. This rib is made of greater height on one side of the ellipse than on theother to adapt it to contact at all points with the head. The. higher portion 18 of the rib is adapted to meet the sloping portion of the head at the back of the ear.

Disposed between the rib 17, and the outer -edge of the shield is a concave recess 19,

which extends completely around the shield. This recess adapts the outer margin of the shield ,to yield to snugly engage the head l of the wearer.- When the shield is applied, the ear is disposed within the cavity'boundd by the elliptical rib, and the outer margin of the shield shapes itself to the side ofi the head.` By reason of the close fit of the rib 17 to the head, the air tpocket extending around the rib in the recess 19, and the close fit of the outer margin of the shield to the head, sound waves emanating outside of the shieldare prevented from entering the ear cavity thereof and interfering with the operation of the receiver and thevproper hearing of messages transmitted thereby.

As an additional means of preventing undesirable sound waves from entering the shield, there is provided between the innerv and outer faces thereof an; air chamber 2 0 which is spaced from and extends completely around the receiver cavity 12. This cham- -ber is preferably ,filled with air or gas under 'pressure and ythis may bedone in any suitable manner as rdisclosed for linstance in Unitedy States patent to Gross, 483,718, Oc-

tober 4,; 1892.1 The raction ofthe pressure within-therhambe'r serves to hold the walls vol? the chamber in a distended position, thus strengthening the shield withoutdestroylng sol its flexibility, and enabling a light construction to be employed. Although it is prei'erred to lill the chamber with fluid under pressure, it is Within the contemplation of the invention toi create a partial vacuum therein, the tendency ot' the chamber to collapse being suliiciently resisted by the vulcanized rubber composition constituting the surrounding Warlls.

Any suitable means may be used for securing the Shield to the head, for example, straps may be provided, or the shield may be directly secured to a helmet or otherhead gear.

While one of the preferred embodiments of the invention has been described, it is to be understood that various modifications in material, form, and arrangement may be resorted to Without sacriicing any of the advantages or departing from the spirit and scope of the invention defined in the followincr claims. v

iaving thus described my invention what I claim and desire to protect by Let-ters Patent is:

l. A shield for excluding sounds from the ear having an imperforate outer wall and an inner wall adapted to conform to ones head around the ear, said inner Wall Within its margins being shaped to grip and retain a telephone receiver and being united marginally to the outer Wall.

2. 'A sound excluding shield having exten nally and internally spaced walls united marginally and centrally and shaped within its margins to retain and inclose allv but one side of a telephone receiver, said inner ivall being provided with a yielding rib adapted to encircle ones ear and to coliform to the head thereabout.

3. An ear shield having a cavity shaped to receive the ear of the user of the shield, a cavity communicating therewith shaped to hold a telephone receiver, a third cavity surrounding saiud ear receiving cavity, and an inclosed fluid tight chamber surrounding said telephone receiver cavity.

4. An ear shield having a cavity shaped to receive the ear of the user ot the shield,

a cavity communicating therewith shaped to hold a telephone receiver, and an inclosed fluid tight chamber surrounding said cavities. i

5. fin ear shield having a head engaging face provided with a cavity haviiigcylindrical Walls adapted to receive and hold in place a telephone receiver, said cavity hav ing a dome-shaped end Wall providing an air space.

6|. in ear shield having a head engaging face provided with a cavity having elastic cylindrical Walls adapted to closelyl receive and hold in place telephone receiver, and having an elastic dome-shaped end Wall pio vldmg: an air space. i

7. An ear shield having a head engaging face provided with substantially concentric elastic head engaging ribs.

8. An ear shield comprising a domeshaped elastic outer Wall. and substantially concentric elastic head engaging ribs.

9. An ear shield having a fluid tight chamber Within its walls, a cavity adapted to hold a telephone receiver, a second cavity adapted to receive the ear ot' the user of the shield, and a third cavity spaced from and disposed in a plane with said ear receiving cavity.

l0, An ear shield having an annular fluid tight chamber within its Walls, a cavity adapted to hold a telephone receiver, a second cavity adapted to receive the ear of the user of the shield, and a third cavity spaced from and disposed in a plane with said ear receiving cavity.

11. An ear shield having a cavity adapted to hold a telephone receiver said cavity having a concave yielding bottom Wall, a second cavity adapted to receive the ear of the user of the shield, and a third cavity spaced from and disposed in a plane with said ear receiving cavity.

l2. An ear shield having a fluid tight chamber within its Walls, a cavity adapted to hold a telephone receive said cavity having a concave yielding bottom Wall, a second cavity adapted vto receive the ear of the user ofthe shield, and a third cavity spaced from and disposed in a plane with .said ear receiving cavity.

13. An ear shield having a yielding outer margin adapted to conform to the shape of the side of the head ot' the user of the shield, a cavity adapted to hold a telephone receiver, and a continuous rib `of yielding material constituting the side Walls of an ear receiving cavity.

let. An ear shield having a yielding outer margin adapted to conform to the shape ot' the head of the user of the shield, a cavity adapted to hold a telephone receiver, and a continuous rib ol' yielding material constituting the side walls of an ear receiving cavity, portions of said rib being of varying heights to adapt the rib to fit the side of the head ot' the user of the shield.

l5. An ear shield having a continuous and generally convex outer ivall and an elastic inner wall united thereto marginally and adapted Within it-s margins to yieldingly engage ones head entirely about the ear, said inner wall being cupped centrally to hold a telephone receiver and being fashioned to permit retention ot the receiver in part at least by vacuous action between it and the outlying body of the shield.

Signed at New York, N. Y., this 27th day of June, 1918.

iliLIAlii d. KENT. 

